United Nations Development Programme in the Arab States

UNDP provides emergency assistance for Abyan IDPs

06 Dec 2011

The impact of the unrest situation on social and economic landscape of Abyan has been dramatic and devastating. According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), close to 90,000 persons were forced to flee outside the conflict area as Internal Displaced Peoples (IDPs). Abyan governorate had the lion-share of IDPs, with just over forty thousand displaced in the governorate. Half of them took refuge in the schools and public premises in Aden, looking for any life-saving and critical support that would help them cope with their displacement and decrease their vulnerability.

To address this crisis situation, the Government of Yemen and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) singed close to half a million US$ project document on Emergency Assistance for Livelihoods Restoration of Abyan Internal Displaced Peoples (IDPs). The project is fully funded by UNDP.

The project directly targets 400 families, with a spillover effect to target all vulnerable families residing within schools in Aden. It works to encourage the relocation of targeted families out of schools and public premises. It also aims to improve social cohesion between IDPs and their host communities. The project intends to decrease the hardships faced by displaced population in the south by providing timely support to their basic needs and livelihoods.

The project will be implemented in close partnership with the IDPs executive unit in Aden, and will be executed by Small and Micro Enterprise Promotion Service (SMEPS), and with other humanitarian agencies and other civil society and community partners.

The project document was signed by H.E. Mr. Ahmed Al-Kohlani, Head of IDPs Executive Unit, H.E. Dr. Mutahar Al-Abbasi, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Mr. Gustavo Gonzales, UNDP Yemen Senior Country Director, and Mr. Wesam Al Qayed, Executive Director of Small and Micro Enterprise Promotion Service (SMEPS).